SEOUL SEARCHING DAY 2 To the N Power

The Ns here are obviously names of two famous tourist attraction in South Korea - the Nami Island and the NSeoul Tower. This entry will be long since both Nami Island and N Seoul Tower have their own stories to tell. Thus, I have decided to separate the two adventures.  I'll share first our experience at the Naminara Republic. 
 

Statue of a snowman couple from the popular Korean drama Winter Sonata at the entrance of Nami Island

The Power of Nami

On our second day in South Korea, we tried to analyze the intertwined, maze-like, colorful train map.  We tried to connect the dots.  We made it.  But it took us quite sometime to reach our destination.  The blogs we read beforehand were incomplete.  Maybe the government was still putting up the train stations towards several towns and provinces when these bloggers made their entry.  It's all a different story now.  Everything is now connected and I believe as I write this entry, South Korea continues to improve their train/subway system to make the lives of their constituents and even tourists like us more convenient.  

How we reached the Nami Island? Clueless of how the subway train map is being used, I just decided to connect some of the dots and welcome all possible misadventures that might come our way.  Well, it wasn't so bad after all.  We just discovered during our trip that there was an easier route.  But here's what happened in our first trip to Gapyeong:

Seoul Subway Map as of November 2012. I'm sure there have been improvements in the system after our trip.

We boarded the Line 2 train since it was the one closest to our hostel.  From Euljiro 1 (Il)-ga station, we alighted to Euljiro Sam (3) and walked towards the Line 3 since it is a transfer station.  From Euljiro Sam in Line 3, we get off to Oksu station which is another transfer station.  Inside the train, commuters will hear an announcement regarding each train station especially if it is a transfer station.  The announcement event includes list of stations or lines that can be accessed on a particular station.  From Oksu, we followed the exit signs going to Cheongyani.  When we reached Cheongyani, we got lost and confused since we were looking for a platform that will take us to another station to get to Gapyeong as mentioned in a blog.  When we asked for help, we were informed we could use the express train instead so we can reach Gapyeong directly.  I think its called KTX, Korea's express train which stops only on selected train stations.  Since it is faster, my friend and I tried it.

We finally reached our destination - the Gapyeong station. An information office can be seen immediately when a tourist exits the Gapyeong train station.  The information officer told us the bus would be arriving soon and we could wait at the waiting shed if we want to.  However, when we checked the scheduled trips, we would be wasting half an hour of our day.   But for those visitors who are not in a hurry, taking this bus is definitely pocket friendly.

Gapyeong Shuttle Bus Schedule

And if you are scheduled to check all the places in the bus' route, then the fare is really worth it. It costs W5,000 for the entire trip taking you to the stops you need like Naminara, Petite France and Good Morning Calm Arboretum.  All you have to do is to keep the ticket you purchased for a free use of the ticket the whole day.  Nami Island was the film location of Winter Sonata, Petite France for Secret Garden and Personal Taste and Good Morning Calm Arboretum was the filming location for Korean dramas Goong and He's Beautiful.

Since we have so much in our itinerary, we opted to take the taxi.  In less than ten minutes, we were already at the Gapyeong Wharf where we could see the signs of Naminara Republic.  Yes, we made it!

We purchased first our tickets.  But seeing a queue towards the boat, we decided to take our brunch first in one of the restaurants.  From the restaurant, we can see where the boats go and dock. When we were ready, we hopped into the boat and waited to be transferred to Nami Island.

Nami Island has been an iconic spot when it became a filming location of hit Korean drama series Winter Sonata starring Choi Ji Woo and Bae Yong-joon.

A lady at the lake and a snowman couple statue at the gate welcome the tourists like us.  

Everyone was taking picture in every spot they find beautiful. In fact, every where you look unveils a picturesque view. But aside from the scenery, Nami Island is named after General Nami whose tomb lies in the island. 

According to visitkorea.or.kr, General Nami led a great victory against the rebels while in wikipedia, General Nami was a military commander executed after he was falsely accused of treason under the reign of King Sejong during the Joseon Dynasty. 

Among my favorite spots in Nami are the lanes with lined up trees, the benches and heart-shaped withered leaves and the tables and bench at the riverside basked by the warmth of the sunset in the Mesoquioa Lane.

Nami also boasts a number of galleries in the island including those beautiful jars, Winter Sonata photos, and even miniatures of mother and child showing various activities.  This depicts how Koreans value their family.  

Nami also has a giant statue of a smiling naked woman who is breastfeeding her kids - one in front and the other on her back.  Another iconic spot in Nami is the statue of the characters of Choi Ji Woo and Bae Yong-joon. 

It's also in Nami that I saw a number of squirrels running around and climbing up and down the trees as they pick up food on the ground. And before my friend and I walked back towards the gate,  there was another beautiful creature that caught my attention - a colorful peacock!

Then later we boarded back to the boat with other tourists and was transferred to the Gapyeong Wharf where I bought ref magnets for souvenirs.

But the adventure didn't stop in the island because my friend and I trooped back to the city for more adventures. 

 

SEOUL SEARCHING DAY 1 - Charming Cheonggyecheon

After having a picture taking with some of our favorite "Korean stars," my friend and I decided to go back to our hotel.  We didn't go home without making some mistake on our way back home using the subway.  Thinking we'll be boarding a train on the same route, we just entered the booth and jumped into the first train we encountered only to discover that we toured the entire Line 2 and passed by so many stations.  One thing I'm glad about this I saw South Korea's National Assembly in the evening.  It was a good sight for a commuter or at least for a tourist like me to see.  The facade of the National Assembly is familiar to me because of the drama Big Thing.

Cheonggyecheon at night (Nov. 26, 2012)

Cheonggyecheon in the evening (Nov 26, 2012)

According to visitseoul.net, this is called Candle Fountain

Later, we decided to check the Cheonggyecheon stream which was one of the locations of Eun Yoon Hye's Lie To Me drama series. Since we arrived late, the stream was just half an hour away from closing.  But we still tried to take photos of the place.  We also stopped by the huge spiral found at the end of the stream.

At the Spring, one of the famous landmarks in the Cheonggyecheon Plaza
(Seoul, Nov, 26, 2012)

Trying to spend the night away but too lazy and too scared to go far away on our first night in Seoul, my friend and I walked towards the direction of the City Hall.  We passed by a media institution/organization and then reached the city library, which used to be the City Hall. The building still stands gracefully over the years beside the new City Hall building.

The new Seoul City Hall (Nov. 26, 2012)

I thought this was the Seoul City Hall.  It used to be.
It is now the Seoul Metropolitan Library.
(November 26, 2012)

And since my chingu and I love to drink coffee, we visited a nearby branch of South Korea's very own Caffe Bene!  For coffee lovers, it was a great way to cap the night with warm pastry, a cup of bitter-sweet coffee and a good company.

South Korea's very own coffee chain, Caffe Bene. (Seoul, Nov. 26, 2012)

Christmas tree in front of Lotte Department Store.
(Jongno, Seoul, November 26, 2012)

Then we walked further and we saw the beautifully lighted sidewalk and garden in front of Lotte Hotel and Lotte Department store.  There was an art which stood at the corner of the garden.  A few meters away, meanwhile, something attracted the attention of the public - a huge, colorful Christmas Tree! 

All these areas are located just near our hotel.  And that is the end of my first day in Seoul. :)









      

SEOUL SEARCHING 2012 DAY 1 - A Whole New (Lotte) World

The room given to us at the hostel was less of my expectation.  But we had no choice.  At least the staff was pleasant and accommodating.  Anyways, we wouldn’t be staying at the hotel for long so no need to complain.  After we freshened up, our first stop would be Lotte World. 

Namdaemun and Myeongdong in the morning

My friend refused to be in charge of the itinerary so whatever I had put up in our list and wherever we went – lost or not – we had to enjoy every minute.

Since the winter just breezed in, the temperature dropped and our body is not used to it.  We had to buy gloves prompting us to go to the Namdaemun market and Myeongdong.  It is like Divisoria in our eyes minus the sticky grime. I’m not fluent conversing in Korean especially when it comes to figures.  I can read but it doesn’t mean I understand all of it.  I think I’m still a kindergarten when it comes to this language.  As I said I’m not fluent in Hangeul, so we ended up talking sometime in English with the Koreans though I tried hard to speak in their language.  Going back to our adventure, from our hostel, the markets and department stores are just a few minutes away.  We leisurely walked in the sidewalk, tried the underpass and even crossed big intersections to get to the market.  We passed by several foodcarts selling tteoki (?) and little pancakes with eggs or custard cakes which all looked yummy.  Then we stopped by Myeongdong and had some photos taken while the place remains cool and not crowded.  And since both of us collect the little cups of Starbucks whenever we visit a place, we decided to search for the branch selling them.  It did not take us long because every nook and corner of Seoul has Starbucks!

A Whole New World in Lotte

Among the first few things that a backpacker should remember in visiting Seoul is to understand the art of riding the train.  Aside from keeping your Tmoney loaded, travelers should comprehend the beauty and connection of the intertwined lines and dots of Korean subway within the city and from the city to different provinces to help you reach your destination in a short period. 

After we went to Myeongdong, we proceeded to Line 2 station since that is the line more convenient to use to get to Lotte World.

I got this brochure at the Incheon Airport tourist information desk.  It is also available at the Lotte World information center .

From Euljiro-il, we get off to Jamsil and walked towards the entrance of Lotte.  We were almost lost since there were a lot of people - mostly students – and we couldn’t see the signage going to the theme park.  Soon, we managed to get to an information center.  The female information assistant gave us the direction to the entrance of Lotte World and even advised us to take some brochures and pamphlets to get ticket discounts.   On our way to the theme park, we walked past a group of students setting up in front of a long presidential table.  It turned out, there would be an autograph signing with the Kpop group Beast.  There was a long queue in the ticket booth but it didn’t take that long before our turn. 

The Lotte World entrance.  Beside it is the ticket booth.

Showing the brochure and our passport, we received a good discount for the ticket with all free rides for the entire day.  But my company is not keen to have fun at these rides so we opted to tour around the Lotte World.  Lotte World is divided into different areas.

  I was amazed to see the grand carousel – the Camelot Carousel and I made sure to have my photos taken here because it is the symbolic and one of the most unforgettable scenes in the drama Stairway to Heaven.

Photo opportunity at the Camelot Carousel is a must!

The pictorial for the show was also held in this ride. We also had fun spending time in the 3D area and enjoyed touring the Folk Museum inside which showcase their old, rich history with miniature displays.  Another thing I enjoyed here was the chance to wear hanbok for just ten thousand won.  There, I transformed to a daebang mama even for less than an hour!  We also checked the other side of Lotte World which houses extreme rides.  With the long queue, we decided to just look around and take photos whenever possible.

Stars Collide in Star Avenue'

The Lotte complex in Jamsil – which houses the Lotte department store and Lotte World - has an attraction that is very inviting to Kpop and Kdrama lovers.  Another highlight of this place is the STAR AVENUE featuring a number of Korean celebrities’ personal favorites being displayed.  Here, we were "up close" with Hyun Bin, Jang Keun Seuk, Rain/Bi, Super Junior, 2PM, Choi Ji Woo and Kim Hyun Joong.  

Star Avenue is located in one of the wings of Lotte department store, outside the Lotte World. For foreigners who purchased a whole day ticket at the Lotte World, the entrance in Star Avenue is free!

This entertainment/activity center is a haven for some Kpop and Kdrama fans. It houses a number of standees of Korean superstars where fans can have a photo op.  It has several zodiac sign compatibility machines where Kpop and Kdrama lovers can find out if they have a good chemistry with their oppa. Fans can also experience to be part of a drama by doing some voice over of their favorite character of their favorite Korean drama.

 It was sure a nice experience.

Choo Choo Train

South Korea's Subway System

My friend and I opted to use the bus on our way to our hotel since we are not so familiar with the subway system yet.  And we just followed the directions we find convenient to us on how to get to our hotel based on their website.  

As tourist, you have to remember first the address of your hotel or guesthouse, the complete address if possible and directions on how to get there. 

Once settled, it’s best to check out first the location and the direction of your desired tourist destination.  Who knows, maybe the place you want to go to might just be a few meters away from your hotel and can be reached on foot.

According to http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/TR/TR_EN_5_1_4.jsp

“Subway systems offer a convenient way of exploring metropolitan cities in Korea. With some guidance, anyone will be able to use the metropolitan subway systems with ease. Each subway station has a name, number, and color, which represents the Subway Line. Transfer stations, where two or more Lines intersect, are marked differently – usually a larger circle – on a subway map. By looking at the subway map, you can determine your departure and arrival stations.”

In using the subway map, find out first the line and the exit nearest to your hotel.  When you are underground, you should remember your exit number so as to avoid getting lost.  During our travel, my friend had put the job on me regarding our destinations and itineraries.  

Despite all my research, we still failed to get the right exit in going back to our hotel because I did not completely understand all these stuff.  Plus, I never paid attention to the exit numbers on the signboards.  I did not know then its significance.

What I like about the subway stations are some of the facilities it has like the vending machines for cold drinks and coffee as well as the locker areas.  Stations in the city uses glass walled panels with sliding doors.  This ensures safety of the people who are using the train and prevents accidents.

When you have become familiar with your line and exit numbers, the next thing to find out is how to get to your destination. It is also important to take note the transfer stations that you need to take.  You should also study the shortest or the most convenient way to get to your desired place.

When we went to Lotte World in Jamsil, we took the subway Line 2 since the nearest station to us is Euljiro 1 (il) station.  We just waited for the train to reach Jamsil Station.  After swiping off the Tmoney card, we got lost because we didn’t know exactly which way was the right exit. It’s not like the LRT or the MRT where there are just two exit points. So we searched for signboards with Lotte.  Soon we found our way leading to an information booth where the assistant told us the exact location of Lotte World’s entrance.  

inside the train

HELPFUL

Inside the train, there is a list of stations or route.  Other trains have maps with light indicators as to what station the train is heading. Making things easier for subway passengers are the monitors and public announcements regarding the stations in at least two sometimes three languages - English, Korean and Japanese.

What I like in the subway city line is the glass wall and sliding doors that provide safety for passengers.  No room for people with suicidal tendencies or similar possible accidents.  here's how it looks:  

glass wall and sliding doors dividing the area of waiting
passengers and the train provide safety and security for the riding public